Documents needed to form a civil partnership

Before you can form a civil partnership in Belfast, you and your partner need to produce certain documents. Each partner must also fill out a civil partnership notice form to help the Registrar collect information about your ceremony and prepare your details for registration.

All relevant documents, notice forms and fees must be submitted to the Registrar before a civil partnership ceremony can take place.

Civil partnership notice forms

These forms, which give formal 'notice' to the Registrar of your intent to form a partnership, must be completed by you and your partner.

Download civil partnership notice form and guidance notes (PDF - 1.1MB)

They are valid for 12 months from the date of notice. This means you must tell us about your plans in the 12 month period before your ceremony date, and no later than 14 days before your ceremony.

Notice forms should be returned to the Registrar of the district in which you intend to register your partnership, along with the relevant documents (listed below) and fees. For example, if you are forming a partnership in Belfast but you live in Armagh, you will need to return your forms to our Registrar's office which is located in Belfast City Hall.

List of district registrars in Northern Ireland

You do not have to make an appointment, however, your forms should be submitted about eight weeks before your ceremony. If you or your partner have been married or have formed a civil partnership previously, forms should be returned ten weeks beforehand.

Essential documents

These should be provided by both you and your partner when returning your notice forms:

your full (long version) birth certificate (authorised photocopies are not acceptable)
your passport or national identity card - the Registrar can advise on alternatives if you do not hold either of these
a consent form (if you aged 16 or 17) - these are available from the Registrar
if you have entered into a civil partnership before, a court order of dissolution for that partnership
if you have been married before and the marriage was dissolved, a certificate of divorce or annulment or a certified copy decree (decrees must be absolute or final)
If you have been married more than once, only the documents for your most recent marriage are required
if you are a widow, widower or surviving civil partner, the death certificate of your former spouse or civil partner.

More information about each of these documents is available from the guidance notes which accompany your civil partnership notice form (see above).

If you have been divorced outside the UK or the Republic of Ireland, you must also fill in a foreign divorce form.

Download foreign divorce form (PDF - 19KB)

Don't delay submitting your notice forms to the Registrar because you don't have the relevant documents - it is better to give notice first and then return any outstanding documents at a later date.